Category Archives: Exclusives

Post navigation

We are very thrilled to bring you something that ties two of our passions together – music and cycling.

We have teamed up with the magnificent Milltag, purveyors of top quality cycling apparel and John Lydon’s band, Public Image Ltd. (PiL), to bring you a limited edition cycling jersey.

According to the Velominati, one of the principal aspects of cycling is that if you look good, you feel good. Or as French poet Paul Fournel put it, to look good is already to go fast.

So, you should pay attention to your public image and with this in mind we have produced a limited edition, performance jersey that will ensure you will look your best every time you pull it on.

The design takes its inspiration from the generic brand artwork of their hit 1986 album, Album, featuring the classic PiL logo along with lyrics from one of their biggest hits, Rise.

The jerseys are available to order now in sizes Small to XXXL at the Milltag shop – click here.
For delivery before Christmas 2016, order by October 17th.
Orders placed after this date and before the end of 2016 will be delivered in February 2017.

About the jersey
The jerseys are hand-made performance jerseys manufactured in Europe using the best materials. Constructed using hi-tech Coolplus fabric throughout they are designed to keep you fresh, cool and comfortable and cut to be aerodynamic yet fit normal cyclists. There’s a full length hidden zip, silicone gripper on the bottom hem to keep it in place and a hidden security pocket in the three rear pockets.

Watch and listen to Public Image Ltd. (PiL) - Rise

Public Image Ltd. (PiL), fronted by John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols) were not post-punk, not new wave, they were Public Image Ltd. The band emerged in 1978 after the break-up of the Pistols and have released 10 albums to date including the classic albums such as Metal Box, The Flowers Of Romance, This is PiL and 2015’s What The World Needs Now.

PiL Re-Issued
On 28th October 2016, PiL reissue the seminal albums Metal Box and Album. Metal Box was the band’s second album, originally released on 23rd November 1979 and Album was their 5th studio album and was originally released on 3rd February 1986, marking 2016 as its 30th anniversary.

The albums will both be issued as 4 CD and 4 vinyl LP super-deluxe box sets, as well as digitally. The editions will include rare and previously unreleased material along with a live disc. The CD versions feature additional tracks to the vinyl editions due to running time restrictions, however, the vinyl edition will include a download card for all tracks on the CD versions. Metal Box will be issued in a square metal tin (CD & LP) (the 1979 original was issued in a round metal film canister) with an embossed PiL logo. Album will be issued in a square card box with de-bossed artwork. Both super-deluxe editions will include a 72 page booklet together with an exclusive poster, art-prints (LP version) and postcards (CD version).

Sea Of Bees new album, Build A Boat To The Sun, is available on CD, LP, Download and as a very special, limited edition boxset.

SEA OF BEES – BUILD A BOAT TO THE SUN – THE BOX SET

The box includes:Build A Boat To The Sun CD
Build A Boat To The Sun LPBuild A Boat To The Sun MP3 albumExclusive digital EP of unreleased tracks made during the recording of the album

Hand pulled screen print on French brand paper by Laura Maltranga, numbered and signed by Jules and Amber
A special handmade, illustrated lyric book with hand stitched binding revealing the stories behind each track on the album.
An individual, one off photo taken, printed and annotated by Jules – they’re randomly allocated so you may get a picture of Jules, Amber, a pet, some flowers, their favourite view or piece of studio equipment or something else completely different instead!

All of these items are housed in a bespoke 12″ x 12″ lidded box with unique artwork.

When we visited Mr Luke Haines this week, he whipped out his acoustic and gave us a superb run through of The Auteurs New Wave track, Home Again. We caught the special moment on camera and are thrilled to share it with you.

LIGHTNING STRIKES – THE CLASH
Punk/hip hop hybrid by the best band EVER!

EVERYBODY’S HAPPY NOWADAYS – BUZZCOCKS
Punk-pop never sounded so good, but that was because it was written by the third best punk band of the Seventies.

DO THE DOG – THE SPECIALS
Early Specials when they were still fired up by punk. Nasty, oh yes.

WORKING FOR THE YANKEE DOLLAR – THE SKIDS
Forgotten classic by a forgotten classic punk band from Scotland. Take that Uncle Sam!

THE BACK OF LOVE – ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
Will Sergeant’s powerful choppy guitar riff and Mac’s operatic vocals make this my favourite Bunnymen track.

LOVE IS A WONDERFUL COLOUR – ICICLE WORKS
Another great Liverpool band. I was a big fan of them in the Eighties and went to many of their shows. This was the song that introduced them to me and remains my favourite Icicle Works song.

TIMELESS MELODY – THE LA’S
The song title speaks for itself.

THE BIG DECISION – THAT PETROL EMOTION
A great Irish band with an American singer, this song was described as agit-pop (whatever that means) at the time. A good song to dance to.

UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT – ROLLING STONES
The last great song by the Stones.FILMS：

GOOD WILL HUNTING A beautiful human drama by the young Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Always makes me cry at the end.

LITTLE BIG MAN Arthur Penn

TOY STORY 3 I loved the first two but this one is my fave. Makes me cry at the end (I like films that do that)!

GOODFELLAS Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro are in fine gangster/wiseguy form in Scorsese

Fred, frontman of the Family Cat, has compiled a playlist exclusively for us at 3 Loop Music giving an insight into where The Family Cat sound came from. In this second part of the playlist, Fred explodes myths, reveals inspirations and where The Family Cat’s name came from!

Sonic Youth – Kill Yr Idols
Working at ULU we did Sonic Youth a couple of times early on, once supported by Big Stick and Live Skull – a truly legendary line-up. That period Sonic Youth was raw and uncompromising. The later records do have a kind of serene beauty (“Sugar Kane” etc), but the in-your-face de-tuned energy of the early records really had an impact on us, especially Tim, who was an unreserved Sonic Youth fan, a fact reflected in the number of (mainly unplayable) guitars he had on stage. The thing about TFC being Sonic Youth’s favourite UK band is a total lie, though Steve Shelley was at the Goldsmith’s Tavern when we supported Loop as he was brought along by Epic Soundtracks (who we knew from around). But Sonic Youth were definitely the Family Cat’s favourite American band.

Pussy Galore – Dick Johnson
I adapted the riff for Too Many Late Nights from this song, believe it or not, well it was my take on it. I saw Pussy Galore lots of times, including the infamous Mean Fiddler show in 1988 when they kept us waiting for an hour and a half, then finally came on and played a 30 second set. I had rare US copies of the very early records, but this one is on the “Dial M” album.

Big Star – I’m In Love With A Girl
Covered this acoustically with John and Tim in rehearsal, we also attempted “You and Your Sister”, but these are hard songs to do if your singer is neither Alex Chilton nor Chris Bell. The “other” TFC seemed to have the monopoly on Big Star love in the 1990s, so I guess we played it down, though we did cover (and release a single of) “Jesus Christ”. I last saw Big Star at the Shepherds Bush Empire a couple of years ago and it was wonderful. Alex Chilton was one of those people who found it too easy to be a rock star, and perhaps I just tried too hard, a subject I have tried to address recently in Jack Adaptor’s “Number 1 Record”.

Guy Clark – Desperados Waiting For A Train
Our manager Pete Lawton introduced me to all sorts of interesting country rock music: Guy Clark, Townes van Zandt, Jerry Jeff Walker, John Stewart, which led me to try to write songs in that mode (“Happy To Be Here” on the B-side of “Springing The Atom” is one, and was directly inspired by “Desperados Waiting For A Train”). I would have liked to have done more of that kind of stuff, though the Rockingbirds got there first. My first band after Family Cat, Pure Grain, with John Graves on Bass, was much closer to that spirit. I have a signed copy of the Guy Clark LP this song is on. I saw Guy play at the Union Chapel in the mid 90s and it was a wonderful show.

Love – Maybe The People
We all agreed about Love, as most sensible people do – it’s together and untogether at the same time. “Blood Orange” came from this. The vocal and guitar work together in places, which is quite Family Cat. John Graves probably introduced this because his Mum had a lot of cool LPs from the 60s and 70s – Laura Nyro, Fairport Convention and Todd Rundgren (though it was cooler to listen to Love in 1989).

Strawberry Alarm Clock – Incense and Peppermints
The very name The Family Cat came from the back of a Strawberry Alarm Clock LP (it was the name of the lighting company who did their live shows) spotted by Tim, who came up to me and said it to me as a potential name. I happened to be holding a blue plastic cat I had just got from a Christmas cracker and it seemed serendipititious at the time. Though we could have been called Paper Hat.

Jacques Loussier – Air On A G-String
John played it and we turned it into “Hamlet For Now”. There is incredible space in this music, now I actually come to listen to it. John really knew his stuff. He loves a mixture of incredibly cool music and was the King of Easy Listening a long time before it was hip in 1995. His record collection went from being worth 50p in 1990 to £30,000 at the height of the easy boom. It’s now back to 50p, much to John’s relief.

Acker Bilk – Stranger On The Shore
John used this as the intro to “Sandbag Your Heart”, thundering into the riff after. I can’t remember why, but it was funny at the time and we stuck with it.

Scott Walker – Copenhagen
I was quietly in love with Scott after my friend Orville played me “Scott 1” late one night after a night out at the Falcon in Camden. This led to a horribly misguided version of “Montague Terrace” which was put out as a free single with the “Furthest from The Sun” LP.

The La’s – Timeless Melody
Tim was the real La’s fan but I got it too – incredible songs. We saw them at The Marquee and it was a really memorable show. This is one of the great all time records, still sounds fresh today. This has a brilliant guitar solo.

Neil Young – Cortez The Killer
We played this song lots of times but only at in-store appearances. I still can’t decide if I like this or “Powderfinger” better, but “Cortez” is really emotional. “He went dancing across the water….”

Jonathan Richman – Roadrunner
I was in love with this song as much as Jonathan Richman was in love with Massachussetts! When I was 15 I heard “Roadrunner” on John Peel in the dark through the little earpiece I had and it was like hearing the sound of freedom. Next day after school I bought the single from Revolver Records in Southampton bus station. The sound of suburbia I recognised by being from suburbia and in love with America, the America I had never visited. “She Cracked” was a favourite of Jelbert and Tim and I think Kev’s favourite was “Hospital”.

We asked Mega City Four drummer player Chris Jones to compile a mixtape of his favourite songs.

He chose to give us a run through of his favourite tracks from then and now. It’s an absorbing listen and here’s Chris to take you through his choices and reveal his favourite tour van tracks, the most emotional track he’s ever heard and a surprising but begrudging admiration for Christina Aguilera!!

THESE ARE SOME OF THE SONGS THAT I LOVED BACK THEN:TANK – I FELL IN LOVE WITH A STORMTROOPER (from the album “The Filth Hounds Of Hades”). This isn’t on Spotify but here it is on Youtube.
Even before I was in the band we all used to congregate on a Friday and Saturday night at a club called “The Agincourt” in Camberley, near where we lived. (It’s still there but not the same). Whenever this song came on all of us and our mates used to rush to the dancefloor and headbang to this track (even Wiz). It was awesome. I was a big fan of The Damned and Motorhead anyway so when this album came out I was in rock heaven. Algy Ward, god bless him.

THE GODFATHERS – I WANT EVERYTHING (from the album “Hit By Hit”)
We used to listen to this album every time we got in the van to go to a gig in the early days. The lead guitar intro was like nothing we’d heard before and was mind blowing. On the way back from gigs it sent us mental. We would play this album and take turns to hang out of the side of the van (like, right out whilst we would be held by our ankles) and try to drink a beer and smoke a fag whilst someone would drunkenly hang on to us as we sped along the M4. We called it “the dangle.” It got worse with us performing the “sumo dangle” but that’s another album!! This record was a massive influence on us and we loved it so much that we did cover the song “I’m Unsatisfied” at a few early gigs, (like the Marquee in Wardour Street). I’ve heard they’re still playing. Gotta see them again to relive that sound. Genius.

THE ROLLING STONES – TUMBLING DICE (from the album “Exile On Main Street”)
Everything on this album really moved me, but mainly “Tumbling Dice”, “All Down The Line” and “Shine A Light”. I agree that they didn’t always make great albums, but there’s something special about pi**ing off to France with all your mates and recording an album in your Khazi, or basement or kitchen or whatever, getting all of your gear nicked in the process, and still coming out with a record that has more soul then anything I have ever heard before. Whatever was going on around them at the time didn’t matter. That record was gonna be good whatever happened.

THE REPLACEMENTS – HERE COMES A REGULAR (from the album “Tim”)
We played this album to death on tour, and to be fair some of it wasn’t great but this one song is special. Gotta love a bit of drinkers misery when you’re feeling a bit down, we’ve all been there. But Westerberg had it off the scale. Listen to this song and just imagine being there in the bar with him at the time. Isn’t that what makes a great song? But this was like Cheers meets Withnail and I. “I’ll take a great gig whisky to ya anyway”. Cheers Paul.

AFGHAN WHIGS – TONIGHT (from the album “Congregation”)
I just bumped into this band along the way. I was given a free album by our publicist at the time. They were hailed to be the next best thing from the Sub Pop label after Nirvana and Mudhoney but most people brushed them aside. I loved them and this track in particular. Great players with soul and feeling. Also still going I believe. Great album.

DINOSAUR JR – OUT THERE (from the album “Where You Been”)
I’ve seen a lot of good guitar players in my time, but this guy, wow! What a legend. The lead guitar playing on this song was ridiculous. Me and Wiz went to see the band at Brixton Academy when we were recording Magic Bullets and we stood there like a couple of statues for the whole gig in amazement. When the band had finished we went up to the front of the stage to try and work out how Mascis came up with that massive sound. He had about six normal black Marshall amps, regular rock stuff, then there was a crafty white one that we’d never seen before, and then there was this green mothefu**er on its side like some kind of an alien intruder. Man, that guy knows his stuff.

THE LEMONHEADS – RIDE WITH ME (from the album “Lovey”)
By far the most emotional song that I have ever heard, but I have no idea what it’s about! Probably drugs knowing Evan. I just remember playing the hell out of this record and always trying to play all of the songs on the guitar when I was drunk. Hopeless!! But it will never leave me.

THE POSIES – DREAM ALL DAY (from the album “Frosting On The Beater”)
This band came out of nowhere and had a great sound. Sometimes we would play this album whilst waiting to go on. Really gets you in the mood for rock! “Dream All Day” is the first track with a wicked guitar intro. Great drummer too. And the last track on the album is awesome also.

AMIEE MANN – I SHOULD’VE KNOWN
Nothing to say about this song really other than “I loved it”. Never liked anything else that she did but this one just grabbed me and I played it to death back in the day. Great pop song.

SMASHING PUMPKINS – 1979 (from the album “Melancholy And The Infinite Sadness”)
I heard this song for the first time in a taxi with the band on Sunset Boulevard going to an interview with the legendary Rodney Bingenheimer at KROQ, the Los Angeles radio station. (This was the interview where we took the piss out of the Manic Street Preachers). I liked the band anyway but this was the first time I’d heard anything from this mega double album. I’ve loved the band ever since.

AND NOW…
NEIL YOUNG – INTO THE BLACK (from the album “Rust Never Sleeps”)
I used to be in a band called Loose Kaboose years ago. The singer made me a tape of an album by Ted Nugent ‘cos he thought I might like it! On the end of the tape was this song. Fucking hell, what a sound. This was grunge way before Sub Pop. He invented it. Went on to make a few other decent records too!!

WARREN ZEVON – DESPERADOS UNDER THE EAVES – (from the album “Warren Zevon”)
My band recently did a tribute gig to celebrate the life of Warren Zevon after 10 years since his death. I trawled through all of his albums to find the best songs for the gig but this one stood out as the best. It’s a sad indictment of a hugely talented man with serious personal issues but that was his life basically. A beautiful song.

BOCELLI – TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
I first heard this song on a visit to Las Vegas. It was being played outside The Mandalay Bay hotel accompanying a huge water fountain display. It stuck in my mind and then it re-emerged on many episodes of The Sopranos. A big fat bloke also sang it at half time during a game I went to at Reading football club a few years ago. Don’t think that lot really appreciated what they were witnessing though! Really special.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA – BEAUTIFUL
I fu**ing hate Christina Aguilera but I so wish I had written this song. I apply a test to any song – “How good would this song be if John Lennon had sung it” – I would love to have heard that. This song would have passed the test.

DOVES – CATCH THE SUN
I first heard this song on a compilation album called “The Album”. Genius! It included such horrors as Coldplay, The Divine Comedy and David Gray. The beginning of this song sounds like Swervedriver (a band that I also loved) but has a fantastic chorus that just grabs you and makes you feel happy.

JET – LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE (from the album “Get Born”)
Donkeys years ago MC4 played a gig with The UK Subs. God knows where it was and it was never to be repeated, but that night the UK Subs singer, Charlie Harper, said that he had a dream the night before that MC4 were the new Beatles! A compliment I guess, but that’s how I feel about this band. This is a song that could have been written by The Beatles if they were still going. I just love it.

THE SNAKES – THE BAND PLAYED ON (from the album “The Last Days Of Rock n Roll”)
I’ve been a fan of this band since they began about 10 years ago and had the privilege of becoming the drummer in 2012. I had to learn all of this album in a hurry and realised that at the time nobody had heard any of the tracks. It is the best album they have done and one of my favourite of all time. “The Band Played On” is a tribute to Dan Tilbury’s fantastic drumming. This song was essentially written and recorded in the studio in no time at all and the outcome is fantastic. Long may it continue.

GENE CLARK – SOME MISUNDERSTANDING (from the album “No Other”)
As a former member of The Byrds, Gene Clark went on to make many albums and many bands have covered his songs, but this is a beauty. Just quality song writing and beautiful melodies. Just what you want from an album really.

ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT – ON A ROPE (from the album “Scream Dracula Scream”)
Never did get to see this band but love this album. “On a Rope” has the best guitar riff. Real air guitar stuff.

IPANEMA – MISERY AND VOMIT/IS IT RAINING OUTSIDE (from the album “Ipanema”)This band were by far and away better than anything that Mega City Four did. To be honest I could see where Wiz was going when we recorded “Soulscraper” and I wish I could have been part of it. But Lawrence was far better than me. I can’t decide between these two songs, both classic Wiz vocally, but the guitar playing was up there with the best. Never got to see them, gutted.

Throughout December we will be revealing a special something for you on each of our 12 days of Christmas!
So be sure to check back to see exclusive content, take part in competitions and join in our festive fun!

We asked Mega City Four bass player Gerry Bryant to compile a mixtape of his favourite songs.

Here’s Gerry to give you his track by track guide and reveals what gets him dancing down at the local and what he used to get up to on the back seat of the school bus…

“1. Big Country – Inwards
Not one filler track on the first Big Country album.

2. The Clash – Stay Free
The Clash were one of my first punk loves. I bought ‘Give ‘Em Enough Rope’ on the day it was released and rushed home to put it on the deck. The vinyl was so thin it was like a flexi-disc. I don’t think anyone would forget the first time they heard this beautiful song.

3. Cockney Rejects – Badman
Nothin’ like a good shout occasionally. Mega City Four used to cover this very early on.

4. Husker Du – Too Much Spice
Reminds me of a stage of my life I’d rather forget about.

6. Soundgarden – Switch Opens
I went to see this lot again recently and even though the sound was crap they haven’t lost it at all.

7. Buffalo Tom – The Bible
I love it when Chris sings.

8. The Damned – Wait For The Blackout
The coolest punk bass line ever.

9. Bad Brains – Banned In D.C.
A friend of mine, that’s now sadly passed away, always used to say that this lot were the best hardcore band ever and the worst reggae band ever. Just check out the guitar solo on this.

11. Swervedriver – Sunset
I’ve seen this band in London, New York, Boston and countless other places and Jimmy’s guitar is always mesmerising! Played their debut album ‘Raise’ to death and the vinyl is especially thin on this track.

12. The Wonderstuff – Can’t Shape Up
The greatest tune from the greatest album from one of the greatest song-smiths ever.

13. The Faces – Pool Hall Richard
Who doesn’t love Rod?

14. The Wrens – From His Lips
Saw this band over in L.A. in a small club on the east side and it was an unforgettable experience.

15. The Body Snatchers – Too Experienced.
The epitome of ska for me.

16. Firing Squad – Penetration
While all the other kids were getting down to the soundtrack from Grease on school bus trips I was on my own at the back listening to this on my trustee Waltham battery operated mono cassette player.

17. MC Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock – It Takes Two
Try not dancing to this when it comes on the jukebox down the local.

18. Beastie Boys – 3 MC’s & 1 DJ
Nice and raw as rap should be.

19. The Replacements – Unsatisfied
A desperate plea from probably the world’s greatest band ever.

20. Stealers Wheel – Stuck In The Middle
The first 7” I ever bought on from a car parts store on Albert Rd, Portsmouth for 15p. A university student we had staying with us said her boyfriend was in the band. I still have no idea if she was telling the truth.”

21. Black Sabbath – Spiral Architect
Proper metal from the gods of metal. Went to see them at Hammersmith Odeon in the 80s and the drum solo was seventeen minutes long followed by a fifteen minute Tony Iommi solo.

Mega City Four’s Sebastopol Rd, their first major label album, is re-issued as a 2CD set 21 years after it’s original release.

Compiled by the band, the expanded edition features the remastered album, the Words That Say, Shivering Sand and Smells Of Petrol Stations EPs plus the b-sides from Top 40 hit Stop and 10 previously unreleased tracks, including 6 demos from the bands own archive and the complete Peel Session recorded in 1993.

Click below to watch Gerry, the Mega City Four bass player, discuss his favourite track on the album, Prague, with Karina Fraser, the Chair Trustee of the Forward 4 Wiz Trust, a charity set up following the tragic passing of lead singer and chief songwriter Wiz.